While it may be fitting for President Bush to trot out bogeymen on Halloween, his comments today are a clear sign that he is isolated and desperate in his attempt to block bipartisan legislation extending health insurance to 10 million low-income American children.

Today, rather than working with Democrats and Republicans in Congress who are determined to extend health insurance to 10 million low-income, working-class American children, the top two Republican leaders in the House of Representatives chose to stand with the one person who constitutes the biggest obstacle to providing that health coverage – President Bush.

Today’s CBO report estimating the Iraq war could cost a total of $1.9 trillion is another dramatic demonstration of this Administration’s gross incompetence in failing to adequately prepare for this war.

This important legislation – the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act – is yet another concrete example of how this Democratic House Majority is focused on common-sense, bipartisan solutions and working to address the priorities of the American people.

The President’s incomprehensible veto of this bipartisan, fiscally responsible legislation – which is supported by strong majorities in the House and Senate, 43 governors, industry groups and the American people – not only violates his own campaign promise in 2004, but also demonstrates a stunning lack of compassion for some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

Mr. Speaker, today, the Members of this body must answer this fundamental question: Will you stand with millions of American children, who through no fault of their own have no health insurance coverage?